Product Description

Unsure anymore who she is, Jew or American, a woman facing mid-life crisis leaves her empty nest, flings herself into the turmoil of a violent Israel and finds herself embroiled in an Israeli Western. Driven by destiny, a search for roots, and quiet desperation, she discovers love in all its terrible glory. No longer naïve, she emerges from her Israel adventure, returns home and attempts to reconcile who she was with what she has become.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1693003 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 302 pages

About the Author
Catherine Hand designed for opera, ballet and Israeli public television. She has been a technical writer and editor in both the US and Israel. Over a period of twenty years she returned to Israel three times and worked there for a total of six years. After a disabling auto accident and self-rehabilitation through horseback riding, she became an Equestrian Therapist. Now widowed, she lives on her ranch in California and teaches riding to children with special needs. She has a BA in American Literature, an MA in Theater, an MFA in Visual Arts and is an advanced NARHA riding instructor.

Customer Reviews

Mezmerizing
The Green Beach was mesmerizing. Each chapter made me want to read more.I could not put it down.

A great read
This is the story of one woman's journey searching for her roots in Israel. She leaves her empty nest, flings herself into a violent Israel and finds herself embroiled in politics, deception and the Israeli workforce. A torrid love affair feeds the frenzy to find herself. In these years, she moves back and forth between both worlds (the US and Israel) for art, for love and for lust.

Reaction To The Book

The Green Beach grabs the reader from the start. The main character, referred to as "she" throughout the book, threw herself into the world of Israel, sometimes beautiful, sometimes sinister. Her drama plays out in the context of a self-destructive love affair and some tense political episodes that point out the discrimination of Jews against Jews. The main characters are complex in personality and memorable because of their distinct, not always agreeable, actions. "She" shows her complexity with her loyalty and compassion to family, friends and sometimes strangers in need. Yet, she can be blunt and self-absorbed. I found the sequencing of events confusing at times, because of the flashbacks. Nevertheless, I got the story holistically and read the book straight through.

Conclusion

The Green Beach shows the best and worst of human nature. It is a gripping story of a woman's fight for survival, emotionally and physically. The author tells a story that needs to be heard as she paints an historical and political picture of Israel from her unique perspective. Catherine Hand's vivid writing style laced with her own poetry and love interests is a great read.

A book hard to put down
The Green Beach is a passionate and historical account of an American woman's relationship with Israel as she moves in and out of the art world to the Israeli underworld. A shocking story of lust, love and politics.
Linda Payne Smith - Editor, Creative Writing Instructor